Epic Mario Stop Motion Animation with Chubby Princess made of Clay!
Get ready for the ultimate Mario experience with this amazing stop motion animation featuring a chubby princess and your favorite Mario characters brought to life with clay! All this made live during our zoom workshop!
This article is about the 2023 animated film. For other uses, see Mario movie.
After the critical and commercial failure of the live-action filmSuper Mario Bros. (1993), Nintendo became reluctant to license its intellectual properties for film adaptations. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto became interested in developing another film when Nintendo was bringing its older games to the Virtual Console service, and through Nintendo's work with Universal Parks & Resorts to create Super Nintendo World, he met with Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri. By 2016, the two were discussing a Mario
film and, in January 2018, Nintendo announced that it would collaborate
with Illumination and Universal to produce it. Production was underway
by 2020, and the cast was announced in September 2021.
Italian-American brothers Mario and Luigi have recently started a plumbing business in Brooklyn,
to the derision of their antagonistic ex-employer Spike. Their father
also disapproves of Mario's new business. After seeing a significant
water main leak on the news, Mario and Luigi go underground to fix it
but are sucked into a Warp Pipe and separated.
Mario lands in the Mushroom Kingdom, ruled by Princess Peach, while Luigi lands in the Dark Lands, ruled by the evil Koopa king Bowser. Bowser seeks to marry Peach and will destroy the Mushroom Kingdom using a Super Star if she refuses. He imprisons Luigi to threaten Mario, whom he sees as competition for Peach's love. Mario meets Toad, who takes him to Peach. Peach plans to ally with the primate Kongs to help repel Bowser and allows Mario and Toad to travel with her. In the Jungle Kingdom, King Cranky Kong agrees to help on the condition that Mario defeats his son, Donkey Kong, in a fight. Despite Donkey Kong's immense strength, Mario defeats him using a Cat Suit.
Mario, Peach, Toad, and the Kongs use karts to drive back to the Mushroom Kingdom, but Bowser's army ambushes them on Rainbow Road. When a blue-shelled
Koopa General destroys part of the road, Mario and Donkey Kong plummet
to the ocean while the other Kongs are captured. Peach and Toad return
to the Mushroom Kingdom and urge the citizens to evacuate. Bowser
arrives aboard his flying castle and proposes to Peach, who reluctantly
accepts after Bowser's advisor Kamek
tortures Toad. Mario and Donkey Kong, having been eaten by an eel-like
Maw-Ray, learn they both want the respect of their fathers. They escape
the Maw-Ray by riding a rocket from Donkey Kong's kart and hurry to
Bowser and Peach's wedding.
At the wedding reception, Bowser intends to execute all of his prisoners in lava in Peach's honor. Toad smuggles an Ice Flower
into Peach's bouquet, which Peach uses to freeze Bowser. Mario and
Donkey Kong arrive and free the prisoners, with Mario using a Tanooki Suit to save Luigi. An enraged Bowser frees himself and summons a Bomber Bill
to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom, but Mario knocks it off course and
directs it into the Warp Pipe where it detonates, creating a vacuum that
causes Bowser's castle to be transported to Brooklyn. As they fight
Bowser, Mario and Luigi grab the Super Star, become invincible, and defeat the Koopas. Bowser is shrunk with a Mini Mushroom
and imprisoned. Mario and Luigi are hailed as heroes and celebrated by
Brooklyn's populace, including their parents and Spike. The film ends
with the brothers beginning a day of plumbing work, now living in a
house in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Voltes V Legacy is a live-action[8] television adaptation by GMA Network of the Japanese anime television series Chōdenji Machine Voltes V that was produced by Toei Company and Sunrise. The anime is commonly known in the Philippines as Voltes V.[9] GMA Network acquired the rights to make a live-action adaptation through Telesuccess Productions, Toei's Philippine licensee.[10]
Voltes V was first broadcast in the Philippines on May 5, 1978, on GMA Network with English dubbing.[11] It was banned by then-President Ferdinand Marcos on August 27, 1979, citing "harmful effects on children"[12] with four remaining episodes being unaired.[13] After the 1986 People Power Revolution that resulted to Marcos' removal from office,[14] the anime was reaired on Philippine television in the 1980s to 2010s.[12][14]
A
full-scale trailer was released on January 1, 2023 on the TV network's
social media channels and YouTube, and is touted as the network's most
expensive production to date.[15] Cast and charactersLead cast Miguel Tanfelix as Steve Armstrong[16] Radson Flores as Mark Gordon[17] Matt Lozano as Robert "Big Bert" Armstrong[18] Raphael Landicho as "Little Jon" Armstrong[18] Ysabel Ortega as Jamie Robinson[19] Supporting cast Martin del Rosario as Zardoz[20] Liezel Lopez as Zandra[20] Epi Quizon as Zuhl[21] Carlo Gonzales as Draco[21] Dennis Trillo as Baron Hrothgar / Ned Armstrong Carla Abellana as Mary Ann Collins Armstrong[22] Gabby Eigenmann as General Robinson[23] Neil Ryan Sese as Dr. Hook[23] Albert Martinez as Dr. Richard Smith Christian Vasquez as Emperor Zambojil (the 124th Boazanian emperor) Carlos Siguion Reyna as the 123rd Boazanian emperor Max Collins as Rozalia Ryan Eigenmann as Baron Zander Chanda Romero as Contessa Nico Antonio as General Oslack Jamie Wilson as Commander Garth Kimson Tan as Tadao Migs Villasis as Apable Joaquin Manansala as SGM. Edwards Angela Alarcon as Chief Kelly Sophia Senoron as Ally Julia Pascual as Anna Crystal Paras as Judy Elle Villanueva as Eva Sanchez[24] Jamir Zabarte as Tomas[25] Jon Lucas as RS Ignacio Dion Ignacio as Obgen Bibeth Orteza as Fadsa Juan Rodrigo as Dr. Baden Mike Lloren as General Watson Brent Valdez as Magus Kyle Ocampo as Amira Kokoy De Santos as Harvey Perez Sharmaine Arnaiz as Luisa Production
In
January 2020, GMA Network hired Riot Inc. for the post-production and
visual effects of the series, with approval and supervision from Toei Company.[9][12] Script, characters and creation of the Boazanian language would undergo review and approval by Toei.[26]
Mark A. Reyes was hired as the director of the television series.[9][12] Reyes has been attached for eight years, from the pitching and approval of the series.[27] Noel Layon Flores serves as the lead visual designer.[28]Suzette Doctolero is attached as the writer.[1]
Production sets
had been made for Camp Big Falcon, the Boazanian Skull Ship and the
Boazanian Earth underground base. The costumes took a year to produce,
undergoing several revisions. Reyes said that they had to establish a
"good marriage within the "classic Voltes V" look and one that’s
acceptable nowadays" when it comes to the series' visuals, adding that
they deviate from using spandex for the costumes.[29]
Production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[29] Principal photography commenced on May 28, 2021.[27] It briefly halted in August 2021 due to the enhanced community quarantine in National Capital Region caused by the Delta variant.[30]
On January 11, 2022, GMA earned praises from Toei Company, the license owners of the show.[31][32] Director Mark A. Reyes also shared that GMA Network had received approval from Toei Japan and a commendation letter from the original producer of the anime.[33] Filming concluded on April 1, 2023.[34] Critical response
In Japan,
Toei Ltd. featured Voltes V: Legacy on their website after the
trailer's release on January 5, 2023. In a press release by the company,
the original makers of the mecha anime praised the project and thanked
Filipinos for their love of the franchise, noting the huge popularity of
Voltes V in the Philippines since it aired in the country in the late
1970s.[35]
The media outlet IGN Southeast Asia described Voltes V: Legacy as "the Philippine answer to Power Rangers and Voltron."[36]
Artwork from 100 Greatest Battles by Angus Konstam.
The Battle on Lake Peipus (Battle on the Ice) took place
12 April 1242
On April 5, 1242 (April 12,
according to the proleptic Gregorian calendar) on Lake Peipus near the
Crow Stone, the battle between the Russian force led by Alexander Nevsky and Teutonic Knights took place . The battle went down in history under the name of ‘Battle of the Ice’.
After the defeat in Nevsky battle
of 1240 the Swedes did not oppose to Russia any more but the German
knights sought to approach the borders of Novgorod and Pskov lands. In
1240 were seized the fortresses of Izborsk and Pskov. Feeling a new
danger, the people of Novgorod, led by Prince Alexander Nevsky rose
against the enemy. In March of 1242 Pskov was liberated. After that the
Russian force moved toward Izborsk. Meanwhile due to reconnaissance the
Russians found out that the enemy sent small troops to Izborsk while the
main force were directed to the Lake Peipus.
According to military historians about
10-12 thousand knights gathered on the Lake’s ice. Alexander Nevsky had
15 to17 thousand soldiers. The majority of the latter were infantrymen
who yielded seriously to knights in armament and battle training.
At dawn of April 5 (12) the crusaders
formed up their army in a triangle the sharp angle of which was turned
toward the enemy. Alexander Nevsky placed the main force not in the
center which was usual for the Russian troops but at flanks. In front of
the Russian army was an advanced detachment of light cavalry, archers
and slingers. The rear of the Russian battle formation was turned toward
the precipitous eastern shore of the lake. Prince’s major cavalry lied
in ambush behind the left flank.
As the forces approached one another,
the Russian archers shot a shower of arrows at the knights but the
armored knights managed to rumple the first regiment. Having cut the
advanced troops the knights found themselves in front of the precipitous
shore of the lake and could not develop their success. The Russian
troops attacked the enemy triangle from right and left. The selected
soldiers of Alexander Nevsky (his druzhina) attacked the enemy’s rear.
The battle lasted till the late night. When the knights wavered and ran,
the Russians chased them in the direction of the today’s cape of
Sigovets. Thin coastal ice started to collapse under the horses and
heavy armored crusaders.
As a result of the Battle on Lake Peipus
the Germans and Novgorod concluded a treaty according to which the
crusaders were obliged to leave all the seized Russian lands.
In the history of fighting against the
German invaders the Battle of Ice is an important date. Though the
Germans did not stop their campaigns to Russia they could no more make a
serious damage to the Russian lands.
On April 18, the Day of Military Glory
of Russia is celebrated — the Day of the Victory of the Russian soldiers
of Prince Alexander Nevsky over the German knights on Lake Peipus
(Battle on the Ice, 1242).
Lit.: Бегунов Ю. К.,
Клейненберг И. Э., Шаскольский И. П. Письменные источники о Ледовом
побоище //Ледовое побоище 1242, М; Л., 1966; Данилевский И. Ледовое
побоище: смена образа // Отечественные записки. № 5 (20) 2004; Зверев Ю.
Ледовое побоище происходило: на суше // Техника и оружие. 1995. № 1. С.
20-22; Кирпичников А. Н. Ледовое побоище 1242 г.: Новое осмысление //
Вопросы истории. 1994. № 5. С. 162-166; Новгородская первая летопись
старшего и младшего изводов. М; Л., 1950. С. 72-85; Трусман Ю. И. О
месте Ледового побоища в 1242 г. // Журнал Министерства Народного
просвещения. 1884. № 1. С. 44-46.
Today in History - January 20, 1029: Alp Arslan, Sultan of the Seljuq Empire, was born
Alp Arslan
"The Byzantine writers deplore the loss of an inestimable pearl: they forgot to mention that, in this fatal day, the Asiatic provinces of Rome were irretrievably sacrificed." - Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
Everybody knows the Turks were badass. That's a given. I mean, you can't read anything about the military history of Eastern Europe without being regaled with tales of insane, daring Christian knights demonstrating the quality of their solidified concrete holy nutsacks by standing up to the mighty, face-crushing Turkish hordes and somehow pulling victory from the jaws of inevitable defeat. So it stands to reason that since fighting the Turks and surviving without being impaled by your own spiked gauntlets was such a tremendous, noteworthy achievement, then these were obviously a ruthless, vicious, powerful civilization of earth-breaking killmongers so insanely tough that they ate baby reindeer and urinated Red Bull energy drinks, right? Well, if that's the case, why is it that most Westerners can't name a single notable Turkish hero aside from Suleiman the Magnificent, Barbarossa, and maybe Selim the Grim?
The Turks, much like the Persians, just need a better PR campaign or something, because they have a totally badass warrior pedigree on par with that of history's best. These guys forged a series of tempered-steel empires that dominated the fuck out of huge tracts of lands across Europe and Asia, and maintined a millenia-spanning stranglehold on Eastern military dominance running from the pre-Crusade middle ages to the end of World War I - a badass Xbox Live achievement that they owe in no small part to the warrior-king Alp Arslan and the role he played in the knife-point castration of the armies of Byzantium in the 11th century.
Adud Al-Dawla Abu Shuja Alp Arslan Muhammad succeeded his uncle Tughril Bey as Sultan of the Seljuk Turks in 1063. His first order of business was of course to crush all opposition to his accession and have any pretenders to the throne violently executed by the sharpest gardening instruments in the Turkish Empire. Once that was out of the way, Alp Arlsan decided to show the world that even though the Seljuks were newcomers to the scene in the Middle East, that this Sunni Muslim empire of nomadic Central Asian steppe warriors could get out there and brain fools with the best of them. Alp Arlsan, known as "The Valiant Lion" of the Turks, immediately assembled an appropriately-imposing force of Turkish cavalry and horse archers and set his sights on destroying all trace of the Byzantine Empire in Asia Minor.
At this point in history, the Eastern Roman Empire of Byzantium was still a pretty serious military threat, but years of über-corrupt rulers, reckless spending, and miscellaneous douchery left the entire system completely decrepit and over-the-hill, and Alp Arslan figured that he was just was the guy to deliver the final kick in the balls that was going to show the Greeks once and for all that they were no longer the big dogs in the Mediterranean. Alp and his armies figured the best way to demonstrate this fact was by blitzing into a number of small buffer states between Byzantium and the Seljuk Empire and utterly laying waste to everything they could find. The Turks, who were pretty pumped up about stabbing with intent to kill, found themselves facing off against Byzantine mercenaries who had gone months without getting paid and had shockingly little interest in getting themselves decapitated for a king who couldn't give a shit about them. The Turks captured Phyrgia, Cappadocia, Anatolia, and a bunch of other places that seem to only exist in ancient times, before facing stiffer resistance in Armenia and Georgia. The Armenians fought so hard and pissed Alp Arslan off so hard that after he finally captured their capital he ordered it torched to the ground and the entire population massacred. Hey, I didn't say he was a fine upstanding citizen – I said he was a dude you didn't want to fuck around with.
After pretty much smoking everything in Asia Minor by the end of 1068, Alp Arlsan decided to leave the mop-up work to his lieutenants, and he headed back home to his harem to chill with his plunder and babes and start planning an invasion of Fatimid Egypt (who, like Byzantium, was also pissing him off for some unspecified reason). Well no sooner did Double-A leave Asia Minor than some brave-yet-delusionally-misguided Greek Emperor decided he was going to put a humongoid army together and actually start fighting back against these unstoppable face-crushing marauders. Emperor Romanus IV Diogenes assembled a tremendous force of Macedonians, Greeks, Romans, Normans, Armenians, French, Modavians, and whatever else he could find (he even had a member of the Scottish royal family in his ranks) and set out to teach Alp a lesson in getting his face punctured by a flying sword-stroke of Western justice.
The balls-out assault caught Alp Arslan's men off-guard, and before you know it Diogenes started winning a bunch of victories and talking about how he was the fucking hottest shit since Greek Fire. The Turks were driven back beyond the Euphrates River by an army of 100,000 Western knights, and Diogenes laid siege to the remainder of the Turkish army at the city of Manzikert in 1071.
If you are looking for a sign this year. This is for you. Stopmotion animation -FOOTBALL INSPIRES US Behind the Scenes
Script:
Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, Mbappe. These are some of our favorite football players who inspire us. They are FOCUSED, DEDICATED and PASSIONATE.
Hi, I’m Gary George Clotario and I am a stopmotion animator. Just like our favorite football players, becoming a stop motion artist requires a similar MINDSET.
Doing stopmotion animation requires a lot of patience, devotion and effort.
Reaching goals may take a lot of time and hard work. We will experience both ups and downs.
But with determination, we persevere.
We should never give up. Don’t Quit. Do it.
Football inspires us to be better every day in every way.
Philosophy is complicated stuff. It’s the search for meaning, for
greater understanding, for answers to the questions surrounding our
existence, our purpose, and the universe itself. So obviously,
attempting to sum it up in a few pithy blurbs is a fool’s errand. Well,
consider us your fool, because that’s exactly what we’ve set out to do.
We’re certain Socrates would question our motives, Emerson would
criticize us for writing on the subject so far removed from nature, and
Nietzsche would make fun of us until we cried. But we think it’s worth
the risk to give you a quick shot of knowledge while you prepare for
your exam, tighten up your essay, or begin the research process.
Because philosophy is such a broad and encompassing subject — I mean,
it’s basically about everything — we don’t claim to cover the subject
comprehensively. Honestly, the only real way you can fully comprehend
the theories, epistemologies, and frameworks described here is to read
the writing created by — and critique dedicated to — each of these
thinkers. But what follows is your introduction, a rapid-fire look at 20
Major Philosophers, their Big Ideas, and their most important written
works. But think fast, because these mindblowers come at a furious pace.
Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century Dominican friar, theologian and
Doctor of the Church, born in what is known today as the Lazio region of
Italy. His most important contribution to Western thought is the
concept of natural theology (sometimes referred to as Thomism in tribute
to his influence). This belief system holds that the existence of God
is verified through reason and rational explanation, as opposed to
through scripture or religious experience. This ontological approach is
among the central premises underpinning modern Catholic philosophy and
liturgy. His writings, and Aquinas himself, are still considered among
the preeminent models for Catholic priesthood. His ideas also remain
central to theological debate, discourse, and modes of worship.
Aquinas’ Big Ideas
Adhered to the Platonic/Aristotelian principle of realism, which
holds that certain absolutes exist in the universe, including the
existence of the universe itself;
Focused much of his work on reconciling Aristotelian and Christian
principles, but also expressed a doctrinal openness to Jewish and Roman
philosophers, all to the end of divining truth wherever it could be
found;
The Second Vatican Council (1962–65) declared his Summa Theolgoiae —
a compendium of all the teachings of the Catholic Church to that
point — “Perennial Philosophy.”
Aristotle is among the most important and influential thinkers and
teachers in human history, often considered — alongside his mentor,
Plato — to be a father of Western Philosophy.” Born in the northern part
of ancient Greece, his writings and ideas on metaphysics, ethics,
knowledge, and methodological inquiry are at the very root of human
thought. Most philosophers who followed — both those who echoed and
those who opposed his ideas — owed a direct debt to his wide-ranging
influence. Aristotle’s enormous impact was a consequence both of the
breadth of his writing and his personal reach during his lifetime.
In addition to being a philosopher, Aristotle was also a scientist,
which led him to consider an enormous array of topics, and largely
through the view that all concepts and knowledge are ultimately based on
perception. A small sampling of topics covered in Aristotle’s writing
includes physics, biology, psychology, linguistics, logic, ethics,
rhetoric, politics, government, music, theatre, poetry, and metaphysics.
He was also in a unique position to prevail directly over thinking
throughout the known world, tutoring a young Alexander the Great at the
request of the future conqueror’s father, Phillip II of Macedon. This
position of influence gave Aristotle the means to establish the library
at Lyceum, where he produced hundreds of writings on papyrus scrolls.
And of course, it also gave him direct sway over the mind of a man who
would one day command an empire stretching from Greece to northwestern
India. The result was an enormous sphere of influence for Aristotle’s
ideas, one that only began to be challenged by Renaissance thinkers
nearly 2,000 years later.
Aristotle’s Big Ideas
Asserted the use of logic as a method of argument and offered the basic methodological template for analytical discourse;
Espoused the understanding that knowledge is built from the study of
things that happen in the world, and that some knowledge is universal —
a prevailing set of ideas throughout Western Civilization thereafter;
Defined metaphysics as “the knowledge of immaterial being,” and used
this framework to examine the relationship between substance (a
combination of matter and form) and essence, from which he devises that
man is comprised from a unity of the two.
Chinese teacher, writer, and philosopher Confucius viewed himself as a
channel for the theological ideas and values of the imperial dynasties
that came before him. With an emphasis on family and social harmony,
Confucius advocated for a way of life that reflected a spiritual and
religious tradition, but which was also distinctly humanist and even
secularist. Confucius — thought to be a contemporary of Taoist
progenitor Lao-Tzu — had a profound impact on the development of Eastern
legal customs and the emergence of a scholarly ruling class.
Confucianism would engage in historic push-pull with the philosophies of
Buddhism and Taoism, experiencing ebbs and flows in influence, its high
points coming during the Han (206 BCE–220 CE), Tang (618–907 CE), and
Song (960–1296 CE) Dynasties. As Buddhism became the dominant spiritual
force in China, Confucianism declined in practice. However, it remains a
foundational philosophy underlying Asian and Chinese attitudes toward
scholarly, legal, and professional pursuits.
Confucius’ Big Ideas
Developed a belief system focused on both personal and governmental
morality through qualities such as justice, sincerity, and positive
relationships with others;
Advocated for the importance of strong family bonds, including
respect for the elder, veneration of one’s ancestors, and marital
loyalty;
Believed in the value of achieving ethical harmony through skilled
judgment rather than knowledge of rules, denoting that one should
achieve morality through self-cultivation.
A French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist, Descartes was
born in France but spent 20 years of his life in the Dutch Republic. As a
member of the Dutch States Army, then as the Prince of Orange and
subsequently as Stadtholder (a position of national leadership
in the Dutch Republic), Descartes wielded considerable intellectual
influence over the period known as the Dutch Golden Age. He often
distinguished himself by refuting or attempting to undo the ideas of
those that came before him.
Descartes’ Big Ideas
Discards belief in all things that are not absolutely certain,
emphasizing the understanding of that which can be known for sure;
Is recognized as the father of analytical geometry;
Regarded as one of the leading influences in the Scientific
Revolution — a period of intense discovery, revelation, and innovation
that rippled through Europe between the Renaissance and Enlightenment
eras (roughly speaking, 15th to 18th centuries).
A Boston-born writer, philosopher, and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson is
the father of the transcendentalist movement. This was a distinctly
American philosophical orientation that rejected the pressures imposed
by society, materialism, and organized religion in favor of the ideals
of individualism, freedom, and a personal emphasis on the soul’s
relationship with the surrounding natural world. Though not explicitly a
“naturalist” himself, Emerson’s ideals were taken up by this 20th
century movement. He was also seen as a key figure in the American
romantic movement.
Emerson’s Big Ideas
Wrote on the importance of subjects such as self-reliance, experiential living, and the preeminence of the soul;
Referred to “the infinitude of the private man” as his central doctrine;
Was a mentor and friend to fellow influential transcendentalist Henry David Thoureau.
Historian, social theorist, and philosopher Michel Foucault, born in
the riverfront city of Poiltiers, France, dedicated much of his teaching
and writing to the examination of power and knowledge and their
connection to social control. Though often identified as a
postmodernist, Foucault preferred to think of himself as a critic of
modernity. His service as an international diplomat on behalf of France
also influenced his understanding of social constructs throughout
history and how they have served to enforce racial, religious, and
sexual inequality. His ideals have been particularly embraced by
progressive movements, and he allied with many during his lifetime.
Active in movements against racism, human rights abuses, prisoner
abuses, and marginalization of the mentally ill, he is often cited as a
major influence in movements for social justice, human rights, and
feminism. More broadly speaking, his examination of power and social
control has had a direct influence on the studies of sociology,
communications, and political science.
Foucault’s Big Ideas
Held the conviction that the study of philosophy must begin through a close and ongoing study of history;
Demanded that social constructs be more closely examined for
hierarchical inequalities, as well as through an analysis of the
corresponding fields of knowledge supporting these unequal structures;
Believed oppressed humans are entitled to rights and they have a
duty to rise up against the abuse of power to protect these rights.
A Scottish-born historian, economist, and philosopher, Hume is often
grouped with thinkers such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Sir Francis
Bacon as part of a movement called British Empiricism. He was focused
on creating a “naturalistic science of man” that delves into the
psychological conditions defining human nature. In contrast to
rationalists such as Descartes, Hume was preoccupied with the way that
passions (as opposed to reason) govern human behavior. This, Hume
argued, predisposed human beings to knowledge founded not on the
existence of certain absolutes but on personal experience. As a
consequence of these ideas, Hume would be among the first major thinkers
to refute dogmatic religious and moral ideals in favor of a more
sentimentalist approach to human nature. His belief system would help to
inform the future movements of utilitarianism and logical positivism,
and would have a profound impact on scientific and theological discourse
thereafter.
Hume’s Big Ideas
Articulated the “problem of induction,” suggesting we cannot
rationally justify our belief in causality, that our perception only
allows us to experience events that are typically conjoined, and that
causality cannot be empirically asserted as the connecting force in that
relationship;
Assessed that human beings lack the capacity to achieve a true
conception of the self, that our conception is merely a “bundle of
sensations” that we connect to formulate the idea of the self;
Hume argued against moral absolutes, instead positing that our
ethical behavior and treatment of others is compelled by emotion,
sentiment, and internal passions, that we are inclined to positive
behaviors by their likely desirable outcomes.
Prussian-born (and therefore identified as a German philosopher),
Kant is considered among the most essential figures in modern
philosophy, an advocate of reason as the source for morality, and a
thinker whose ideas continue to permeate ethical, epistemological, and
political debate. What perhaps most distinguishes Kant is his innate
desire to find a synthesis between rationalists like Descartes and
empiricists like Hume, to decipher a middle ground that defers to human
experience without descending into skepticism. To his own way of
thinking, Kant was pointing a way forward by resolving a central
philosophical impasse.
Kant’s Big Ideas
Defined the “Categorical imperative,” the idea that there are
intrinsically good and moral ideas to which we all have a duty, and that
rational individuals will inherently find reason in adhering to moral
obligation;
Argued that humanity can achieve a perpetual peace through universal democracy and international cooperation;
Asserted that the concepts of time and space, as well as cause and
effect, are essential to the human experience, and that our
understanding of the world is conveyed only by our senses and not
necessarily by the underlying (and likely unseen) causes of the
phenomena we observe.
A Danish theologian, social critic, and philosopher, Kierkegaard is
viewed by many as the most important existentialist philosopher. His
work dealt largely with the idea of the single individual. His thinking
tended to prioritize concrete reality over abstract thought. Within this
construct, he viewed personal choice and commitment as preeminent. This
orientation played a major part in his theology as well. He focused on
the importance of the individual’s subjective relationship with God, and
his work addressed the themes of faith, Christian love, and human
emotion. Because Kierkegaard’s work was at first only available in
Danish, it was only after his work was translated that his ideas
proliferated widely throughout Western Europe. This proliferation was a
major force in helping existentialism take root in the 20th century.
Kierkegaard’s Big Ideas
Explored the idea of objective vs. subjective truths, and argued
that theological assertions were inherently subjective and arbitrary
because they could not be verified or invalidated by science;
Was highly critical of the entanglement between State and Church;
First described the concept of angst, defining it as a dread the
comes from anxieties over choice, freedom, and ambiguous feelings.
10. Lao-Tzu (also Laozi, lived between the 6th and 4th century BCE)
Historians differ on exactly when Lao-Tzu lived and taught, but it’s
largely held that some time between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, the
“old master” founded philosophical Taoism. Viewed as a divine figure in
traditional Chinese religions, his ideas and writings would form one of
the major pillars (alongside Confucius and the Buddha) for Eastern
thought. Lao-Tzu espoused an ideal life lived through the Dao or Tao
(roughly translated as “the way”). As such, Taoism is equally rooted in
religion and philosophy. In traditional telling, though Lao-Tzu never
opened a formal school, he worked as an archivist for the royal court of
Zhou Dynasty. This gave him access to an extensive body of writing and
artifacts, which he synthesized into his own poetry and prose. As a
result of his writing, his influence spread widely during his lifetime.
In fact, one version of his biography implies he may well have been a
direct mentor to the Buddha (or, in some versions, was the Buddha
himself). There are lot of colorful narratives surrounding Lao-Tzu, some
of which are almost certainly myth. In fact, there are some historians
who even question whether or not Lao-Tzu was a real person. Historical
accounts differ on who he was, exactly when he lived and which works he
contributed to the canon of Taoism. However, in most traditional
tellings, Lao-Tzu was the living embodiment of the philosophy known as
Taoism and author of its primary text, the Tao Te Ching.
Lao-Tzu’s Big Ideas
Espoused awareness of the self through meditation;
Disputed conventional wisdom as inherently biased, and urged
followers of the Tao to find natural balance between the body, senses,
and desires;
Urged individuals to achieve a state of wu wei, freedom from desire, an early staple tenet of Buddhist tradition thereafter.
An English physicist and philosopher, John Locke was a prominent
thinker during the Enlightenment period. Part of the movement of British
Empiricism alongside fellow countrymen David Hume, Thomas Hobbes, and
Sir Francis Bacon, Locke is regarded as an important contributor to the
development of the social contract theory and is sometimes identified as
the father of liberalism. Indeed, his discourses on identity, the self,
and the impact of sensory experience would be essential revelations to
many Enlightenment thinkers and, consequently, to real revolutionaries.
His philosophy is said to have figured prominently into the formulation
of the Declaration of Independence that initiated America’s war for
independence from the British.
Locke’s Big Ideas
Coined the term tabula rasa (blank slate) to denote that
the human mind is born unformed, and that ideas and rules are only
enforced through experience thereafter;
Established the method of introspection, focusing on one’s own
emotions and behaviors in search of a better understanding of the self;
Argued that in order to be true, something must be capable of
repeated testing, a view that girded his ideology with the intent of
scientific rigor.
Niccolo di Bernardo dei Machiavelli is at once among the most
influential and widely debated of history’s thinkers. A writer, public
office-holder, and philosopher of Renaissance Italy, Machiavelli both
participated in and wrote prominently on political matters, to the
extent that he has even been identified by some as the father of modern
political science. He is also seen as a proponent of deeply
questionable — some would argue downright evil — values and ideas.
Machiavelli was an empiricist who used experience and historical fact to
inform his beliefs, a disposition which allowed him to divorce politics
not just from theology but from morality as well. His most prominent
works described the parameters of effective rulership, in which he seems
to advocate for leadership by any means which retain power, including
deceit, murder, and oppression. While it is sometimes noted in his
defense that Machiavelli himself did not live according to these
principles, this “Machiavellian” philosophy is often seen as a template
for tyranny and dictatorship, even in the present day.
Machiavelli’s Big Ideas
Famously asserted that while it would be best to be both loved and
feared, the two rarely coincide, and thus, greater security is found in
the latter;
Identified as a “humanist,” and believed it necessary to establish a
new kind of state in defiance of law, tradition and particularly, the
political preeminence of the Church;
Viewed ambition, competition and war as inevitable parts of human nature, even seeming to embrace all of these tendencies.
A German-born economist, political theorist, and philosopher, Karl
Marx wrote some of the most revolutionary philosophical content ever
produced. Indeed, so pertinent was his writing to the human condition
during his lifetime, he was exiled from his native country. This event
would, however, also make it possible for his most important ideas to
find a popular audience. Upon arriving in London, Marx took up work with
fellow German Friedrich Engels. Together, they devised an assessment of
class, society, and power dynamics that revealed deep inequalities, and
exposed the economic prerogatives for state-sponsored violence,
oppression, and war. Marx predicted that the inequalities and violence
inherent in capitalism would ultimately lead to its collapse. From its
ashes would rise a new socialist system, a classless society where all
participants (as opposed to just wealthy private owners) have access to
the means for production. What made the Marxist system of thought so
impactful though was its innate call to action, couched in Marx’s
advocacy for a working class revolution aimed at overthrowing an unequal
system. The philosophy underlying Marxism, and his revolutionary
fervor, would ripple throughout the world, ultimately transforming
entire spheres of thought in places like Soviet Russia, Eastern Europe,
and Red China. In many ways, Karl Marx presided over a philosophical
revolution that continues in the present day in myriad forms of
communism, socialism, socialized democracy, and grassroots political
organization.
Marx’s Big Ideas
Advocated a view called historical materialism, arguing for the
demystification of thought and idealism in favor of closer
acknowledgement of the physical and material actions shaping the world;
Argued that societies develop through class struggle, and that this would ultimately lead to the dismantling of capitalism;
Characterized capitalism as a production system in which there are
inherent conflicts of interest between the bourgeoisie (the ruling
class), and the proletariat (the working class), and that these
conflicts are couched in the idea that the latter must sell their labor
to the former for wages that offer no stake in production.
British economist, public servant, and philosopher John Stuart Mill
is considered a linchpin of modern social and political theory. He
contributed a critical body of work to the school of thought called
liberalism, an ideology founding on the extension of individual
liberties and economic freedoms. As such, Mill himself advocated
strongly for the preserving of individual rights and called for
limitations to the power and authority of the state over the individual.
Mill was also a proponent of utilitarianism, which holds that the best
action is one that maximizes utility, or stated more simply, one that
provide the greatest benefit to all. This and other ideas found in
Mill’s works have been essential to providing rhetorical basis for
social justice, anti-poverty, and human rights movements. For his own
part, as a member of Parliament, Mill became the first office-holding
Briton to advocate for the right of women to vote.
Mill’s Big Ideas
Advocated strongly for the human right of free speech, and asserted
that free discourse is necessary for social and intellectual progress;
Determined that most of history can be understood as a struggle
between liberty and authority, and that limits must be placed on
rulership such that it reflects society’s wishes;
Stated the need for a system of “constitutional checks” on state authority as a way of protecting political liberties.
Friedrich Nietzsche was a poet, cultural critic, and philosopher, as
well as possessor of among the most gifted minds in human history. The
German thinker’s system of ideas would have a profound impact on the
Western World, contributing deeply to intellectual discourse both during
and after his life. Writing on an enormous breadth of subjects, from
history, religion and science to art, culture and the tragedies of Greek
and Roman Antiquity, Nietzsche wrote with savage wit and a love of
irony. He used these forces to pen deconstructive examinations of truth,
Christian morality, and the impact of social constructs on our
formulation of moral values. Also essential to Nietzshe’s writing is
articulation of the crisis of nihilism, the basic idea that all things
lack meaning, including life itself. This idea in particular would
remain an important component of the existentialist and surrealist
movements that followed.
Nietzsche’s Big Ideas
Favored perspectivism, which held that truth is not objective but is
the consequence of various factors effecting individual perspective;
Articulated ethical dilemma as a tension between the master vs.
slave morality; the former in which we make decisions based on the
assessment of consequences, and the latter in which we make decisions
based on our conception of good vs. evil;
Believed in the individual’s creative capacity to resist social
norms and cultural convention in order to live according to a greater
set of virtues.
Greek philosopher and teacher Plato did nothing less than found the
first institution of higher learning in the Western World, establishing
the Academy of Athens and cementing his own status as the most important
figure in the development of western philosophical tradition. As the
pupil of Socrates and the mentor to Aristotle, Plato is the connecting
figure in what might be termed the great triumvirate of Greek thought in
both philosophy and science. A quote by British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead sums up
the enormity of his influence, noting “the safest general
characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it
consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” Indeed, it could be argued
that Plato founded political philosophy, introducing both the dialectic
and dialogic forms of writing as ways to explore various areas of
thought. (Often, in his dialogues, he employed his mentor Socrates as
the vessel for his own thoughts and ideas.) While he was not the first
individual to partake of the activity of philosophy, he was perhaps the
first to truly define what it meant, to articulate its purpose, and to
reveal how it could be applied with scientific rigor. This orientation
provided a newly concreted framework for considering questions of
ethics, politics, knowledge, and theology. Such is to say that it is
nearly impossible to sum up the impact of Plato’s ideas on science,
ethics, mathematics, or the evolution of thought itself other than to
say it has been total, permeating, and inexorable from the tradition of
rigorous thinking itself.
Plato’s Big Ideas
Expressed the view, often referred to as Platonism, that those whose
beliefs are limited only to perception are failing to achieve a higher
level of perception, one available only to those who can see beyond the
material world;
Articulated the theory of forms, the belief that the material world
is an apparent and constantly changing world but that another, invisible
world provides unchanging causality for all that we do see;
Held the foundational epistemological view of “justified true
belief,” that for one to know that a proposition is true, one must have
justification for the relevant true proposition.
Rousseau was a writer, philosopher, and — unique among entrants on
this list — a composer of operas and classical compositions. Born in
Geneva, then a city-state in the Swiss Confederacy, Rousseau would be
one of the most consequential thinkers of the Enlightenment era. His
ideas on human morality, inequality, and most importantly, on the right
to rule, would have an enormous and definable impact not just on
thinking in Europe, but on the actual power dynamics within Western
Civilization. Indeed, his most important works would identify personal
property as the root to inequality and would refute the premise that
monarchies are divinely appointed to rule. Rousseau proposed the
earth-shattering idea that only the people have a true right to rule.
These ideas fomented the French Revolution, and more broadly, helped
bring an end to a centuries-old entanglement between Church, Crown, and
Country. Rousseau may be credited for providing a basic framework for
classical republicanism, a form of government centered around the ideas
of civil society, citizenship, and mixed governance.
Rousseau’s Big Ideas
Suggested that Man was at his best in a primitive state — suspended
between brute animalistic urges on one end of the spectrum and the
decadence of civilization on the other — and therefore uncorrupted in
his morals;
Suggested that the further we deviate from our “state of nature,”
the closer we move to the “decay of the species,” an idea that comports
with modern environmental and conservationist philosophies;
Wrote extensively on education and, in advocating for an education
that emphasizes the development of individual moral character, is
sometimes credited as an early proponent of child-centered education.
A French novelist, activist, and philosopher, Sartre was a leading
exponent of the 20th century existentialist movement as well as a vocal
proponent of Marxism and socialism. He advocated for resistance to
oppressive social constructs and argued for the importance of achieving
an authentic way of being. His writing coincided with, and contrasted,
the sweep of fascism through Europe, the rise of authoritarian regimes,
and the spread of Nazism. Sartre’s ideas took on increased importance
during this time, as did his actions. Sartre became active in the
socialist resistance, which aimed its activities at French Nazi
collaborators. Of note, one of his activist collaborators was both a
romantic partner and a fellow major cohort of existentialism, Simone de
Beauvoir. Following the war, Sartre’s writing and political engagement
centered on efforts at anticolonialism, including involvement in the
resistance to French colonization of Algeria. In fact, his involvement
earned Sartre two near-miss bomb attacks at the hands of French
paramilitary forces. Also notable, Sartre was supportive of the Soviet
Union throughout his lifetime. Though occasionally serving to raise
issues regarding human rights abuses as an outside observer, he praised
the Soviet Union’s attempt at manifesting Marxism.
Sartre’s Big Ideas
Believed that human beings are “condemned to be free,” that because
there is no Creator who is responsible for our actions, each of us alone
is responsible for everything we do;
Called for the experience of “death consciousness,” an understanding
of our mortality that promotes an authentic life, one spent in search
of experience rather than knowledge;
Argued that the existence of free will is in fact evidence of the
universe’s indifference to the individual, an illustration that our
freedom to act toward objects is essentially meaningless and therefore
of no consequence to be intervened upon by the world.
A necessary inclusion by virtue of his role as, essentially, the
founder of Western Philosophy, Socrates is nonetheless unique among
entrants on this list for having produced no written works reflecting
his key ideas or principles. Thus, the body of his thoughts and ideas is
left to be deciphered through the works of his two most prominent
students, Plato and Xenophon, as well as to the legions of historians
and critics who have written on him since. The classical Greek thinker
is best known through Plato’s dialogues, which reveal a key contributor
to the fields of ethics and education. And because Socrates is best
known as a teacher of thought and insight, it is perhaps appropriate
that his most widely recognized contribution is a way of approaching
education that remains fundamentally relevant even today. The so-called
Socratic Method, which involves the use of of questioning and discourse
to promote open dialogue on complex topics and to lead pupils to their
own insights, is on particular display in the Platonic dialogues. His
inquisitive approach also positioned him as a central social and moral
critic of the Athenian leadership, which ultimately led to his trial and
execution for corrupting the minds of young Athenians.
Socrates’ Big Ideas
Argued that Athenians were wrong-headed in their emphasis on
families, careers, and politics at the expense of the welfare of their
souls;
Is sometimes attributed the statement “I know that I know nothing,”
to denote an awareness of his ignorance, and in general, the limitations
of human knowledge;
Believed misdeeds were a consequence of ignorance, that those who
engaged in nonvirtuous behavior did so because they didn’t know any
better.
Born in Austria to a wealthy family, Wittgenstein is one of
philosophy’s more colorful and unusual characters. He lived a life of
eccentricity and professional nomadism, dabbling in academia, military
service, education, and even as a hospital orderly. Moreover, during his
life, he wrote voluminously but published only a single manuscript. And
yet, he was recognized by his contemporaries as a genius. The
posthumous publication of his many volumes confirmed this view for
future generations, ultimately rendering Wittgenstein a towering figure
in the areas of logic, semantics, and the philosophy of mind. His
investigations of linguistics and psychology would prove particularly
revelatory, offering a distinctive window through which to newly
understand the nature of meaning and the limits of human conception.
Wittgenstein’s Big Ideas
Argued that conceptual confusion about language is the basis for most intellectual tension in philosophy;
Asserted that the meaning of words presupposes our understanding of
that meaning, and that our particular assignment of meaning comes from
the cultural and social constructs surrounding us;
Resolved that because thought is inextricably tied to language, and
because language is socially constructed, we have no real inner-space
for the realization of our thoughts, which is to say that the language
of our thoughts renders our thoughts inherently socially constructed.
We hope this was enlightening for you. If it doesn’t help you ace
your exam, it should at least give you plenty to think about. By all
means, go ponder the universe, yourself, and that frail, fickle thing we
call the human condition.
